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Pink revolution

Pink, normally identified as only young girls’ favourite, has been ignored for a long time as many designers prefer cool modern styles. But now this bias is subverted. Pink brings a revolution, influencing not only fashion world, but also the whole society.

Big trend for this season

The Wall Street Journal identifies pink as “spring fashion’s biggest trend”. This color can actually provide people with warmth and happiness. Studies show that pink has obvious effect to maintain a stable mood. Similar situations have been observed in Naval detention center, Veterans Hospital and even psychiatric ward. Both heart rate and blood pressure can be decreased.

This year Pantone shares two types of pink as hot issues for the season: Pale Dogwood as “a quiet and peaceful pink shade that engenders an aura of innocence and purity”; Pink Yarrow, “a whimsical, unignorable hue that tempts and tantalizes”. The former is a subtle pink whose soft touch infuses a healthy glow and the later is a captivating and stimulating color that lifts spirits and gets the adrenaline going.

You can see designers using those elements everywhere in recent Fashion Weeks: Michael Kors has pink windbreaker instead of khaki ones; J. Crew provides another pink outwear with pink checked shirt inside; and the pink leather skirt from Bottega Veneta’s new collection shows a kooky and liberating attitude.

Pink and gender realisation

If asked to pick the most feminine colour, many people will choose pink. Maybe this is why some believe that pink represents a general imagery on women: cute, tender but incapable. It is believed that love for pink is an embodiment of feminity. According to gender psychology, women gradually form characteristics of feminity in their growths, appearing gentle and modest personality. Pink is a color easily rising desire of protection, so women often love it subconsciously. This can be understood from two perspectives. The first one is that social role theory believes social pressure makes women keep courteous characteristic. Secondly, theory about individual development thinks female form their personalities by referring to preferences of other women around them. So it is easy to explain why many women in workplace don’t like pink-for those with strong and independent personalities, they don’t need to meet certain social standard [especially men’s expectation].

It will still take a while for male to prefer pink, leave its usual impression alone; but at least more men start to accept this color by realising its visual function. Pietro Quaglia, who opened his own Italian restaurant Pietro Nolita in Manhattan, boldly uses pink for the whole design, including walls, tableware and napkins. They even have their pasta and cocktail pink. “It means love, it means happiness, it means so many things,” the founder Mina Soliman says. “When you go to eat, that’s what you want.” Quaglia’s response is simpler: “It is 2017 now. Pink is cool!”

Outside and inside view of Pietro Nolita

Pink and its political meaning

Designer Michael Kors believes pink represents strength in this season: “Modern women want to show not only a soft girliness, but also independence.” It reminds people of the female parade warning against populist patronising on the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency. Women across the country came to Washington DC with those “pussyhat”. The city was all covered with pink-To this degree, absolutely the color is not just loveliness and innocence. Instead, it becomes a symbol of feminism.